MOTIVE-BASED TARGET GROUPS
Alternative to: Demographics, Psychographics, Vague Personas, Generic Target Groups
Companies choose motive-based target groups when growth stagnates despite substantial marketing investments, demographic segmentations don't work (same-age people buy completely differently), psychographic models or generic personas are too vague for concrete marketing or product decisions, persona workshops produce nice posters but no implementable insights, or product launches fail because there's no genuine product-market fit. Often genuine understanding of the "why" behind purchase decisions is missing – and a method that creates behavior-relevant, sharp target groups instead of just describing them.
Traditional target group segmentations are based on demographic characteristics like age, gender, income, or education, or group people with similar values and comparable social positions (e.g., psychographic models). However, the actual motives, needs, and behavior patterns remain excluded. The result: vague, impractical target groups – because demographically similar people often act completely differently, while people with the same motive profile show nearly identical needs and purchase behavior despite different demographic characteristics. Consequently, service development, marketing communication, and service delivery become inefficient because they often miss real customer needs.
The Gastspiel Methodology – Profiler Approach for Motive-based Target Groups:
The motive-based segmentation developed by Gastspiel uses insights from the practical work of criminal profilers. While criminal offenders conceal their motives, customers leave many traces, can be observed in their actions, and usually gladly provide information about their motives. Our method places the crucial "why" at the center and deliberately excludes traditional demographics in the primary analysis.
The result: sharp, behavior-relevant motive-based target groups that enable precise, motive-appropriate addressing. A consistent motive-based target group system – from brand promise through strategy, product development, marketing communication to concrete service delivery at every touchpoint – creates clear focus, maximum resource efficiency, and genuine value for all stakeholders.
Who Benefits:
- CMOs & Marketing Directors (higher marketing ROI, more precise campaigns)
- Product Managers & CPOs (product-market fit, feature prioritization, roadmap)
- CEOs of Growth Companies (tap new target groups, focus)
- Sales Directors (more precise targeting, higher win rates, shorter sales cycles)
Typical Challenges We Solve:
- Stagnated growth despite marketing investments (wrong target group focus)
- High customer acquisition costs (CAC) without clear cause (waste)
- Failed product launches or low adoption (no product-market fit)
- Unclear feature prioritization (no understanding of what target groups really need)
- Previous segmentations (demographics, psychographics) deliver no results
Typical Project Outcomes After Motive-based Target Group Implementation:
- Conversion rates: demonstrably 20-40% higher (more precise targeting)
- Customer acquisition costs (CAC): 15-30% reduction (less waste)
- Target group clarity: 3-5 sharp motive-based target groups instead of 10+ vague personas
- Decision speed: 2-3x faster (product/feature/campaign decisions)
- Go-to-market strategy: clearly differentiated per motive-based target group with specific messaging
